Strife occurs everywhere among characters in The Canterbury Tales, in the stories as well as the links between them. Characters seem always ready to dispute, contradict, declaim, and contend about almost anything. A competitive spirit suffuses the work, from the tale-telling among pilgrims and the personal rivalries that develop on the pilgrimage to the conflicts, beguilings, and one-uppings that go on in the tales. By understanding the rivalries of the Canterbury world, we may then recognize why Chaucer so insists on the individuality of the characters he creates, why so many characters (rightly or wrongly) resist structures, and why they challenge or reject social dogmas, often overturning them. The essays that make up this collection offer several provocative interpretations of the rivalrous and rebellious spirits that inhabit the worlds of Chaucer's tales. The volume is intended for the dedicated teacher of Chaucer as well as for the specialist in medieval English studies. As Chaucer's poem displays the contestive spirit of human affairs, so the collective spirit of these essays reflects vigorous debate and multi-faceted challenge.

About the Author
Susanna Fein is professor of English and coordinator of the Arts and Sciences minor in Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies at Kent State University. David Raybin is a professor of English at Eastern Illinois University, who has published extensively on the works of Chaucer. Derek Pearsall is a prominent Chaucerian scholar and professor emeritus of Harvard University.


Book Information
ISBN 9780918720429
Author Derek Pearsall
Format Paperback
Page Count 293
Imprint Medieval Institute Publications
Publisher Medieval Institute Publications
Weight(grams) 500g